A Peculiar Pastime
by seafarer
Summary: Frodo discovers a rather peculiar habit of the Elves...


**A Peculiar Pastime**

Frodo Baggins was frightened. No, more than frightened, he was terrified. He closed his eyes as he plunged towards the ground, but that only made the swoop upwards worse. There was a sudden jerk, and then he was falling backwards. He gasped and his eyes flew open. The ground was leaving him again. And then down, up, back, up, forward, down, up, falling back again; his stomach rolled.

"You're doing well," a musical voice encouraged him. He looked up in time to see a pair of brown shoes swoop past his head, followed by their owner-a golden haired Elf named Legolas. He flinched, but tried to smile back.

"What do you call this again?" he asked, trying to keep the fear out of his voice. Legolas, now far above his head, turned nearly upside down as he smiled at the hobbit.

"Swinging."

"I can well believe that," Frodo mumbled to himself. The sharp ears of the Elf caught the words, and he smiled to himself. Truthfully, he had been a little surprised to find the Ringbearer wandering the gardens of Imladris alone. Usually the periannath seemed to travel in pairs or groups, and rarely was Frodo without either his servant or his cousin Bilbo. He had been more surprised when, in the course of conversation, he had jestingly suggested that they use the swings to test Frodo's head for heights, and Frodo had agreed. As he swung past the little perian again he had the impression that Frodo was regretting his choice.

Frodo gripped the slender ropes that were supporting him as the swing reached its height and then plunged downwards towards the earth again at a dizzying speed. Why did I ever agree to this? "You said that Elves do this to relax?" he wondered aloud. Behind him Legolas laughed.

"Sometimes," the Elf rejoined, "although I must admit that I've never seen Lord Elrond in a swing." He glanced backwards as he swept past Frodo again and was rewarded with a small smile, although the terror was still evident in those blue eyes. Legolas smiled back and continued his banter, trying to calm the perian. "Lovers I have seen here. A couple will sit and talk for hours while they fly back and forth." Below him he saw the small hands tighten their grip on the ropes at the word "fly." Well done, Legolas, he thought. Do not use such a word again. "The elleth will often play here," he hastened on, "and sometimes I have seen young ellon stand behind the trees and watch their heart's desires at play; and it is a good place to think in peace," he added thoughtfully.

"Perhaps for your people," Frodo returned politely. "For my part I doubt that any hobbit would find his thoughts in such a place productive."

"Do you wish to stop?" the Elf asked gravly. Frodo shook his head.

"No, you said that it could help me become accustomed to the heights," he answered, adding a little breathlessly, "but don't suggest this to Sam. Merry and Pip could stand it, I think, but not Sam."

"He doesn't care for heights, then?"

"He's terrified of them," Frodo chuckled. "All respectable hobbits are, but Tooks have never been respectable and Merry has spent too much time with Bilbo and I to pass up what he thinks is an adventure." His voice grew sad. "It will be his undoing."

The pair were swinging almost side by side now and Legolas glanced down at the Ringbearer. Shadows of fear and doubt lurked in the small face again. That will never do.

"Do you mind heights?" he hastily inquired.

Frodo looked at him in a puzzled manner, but then seemed to recall himself. "I don't know," he answered slowly, "I can climb trees well enough, but I don't care to climb higher than the fourth branch or so. Although Bilbo and Lobelia both saw to it that I could reach the top," he chuckled. Catching a quizzical look from Legolas as the Elf swooped past he explained, "Bilbo wanted to be sure that I knew how to climb trees well because the dwarves made him climb a tree in Mirkwood, and I used to hide from Lobelia by climbing as high as I could. She never guessed that I was up there."

Legolas caught the smug tone and smiled to himself. "Lobelia is...?"

"My cousin," Frodo affirmed. "Or, if you prefer, the wife of my second cousin once removed, on the Baggins side, unfortunatly," he added ruefully. Legolas gave him an inquiring look and Frodo explained, "She and Bilbo have never gotten along ever since she and her husband Otho tried to take possesion of Bag End while Bilbo was on his adventure, and as for myself, Lobelia has hated me since I was a small child." He chuckled bitterly. "And I heartily return the favor. I wish I could have sold Bag End to anyone other than the S.-Bs." He glowered at the horizon.

"Your cousin Lobelia?"

"Yes." The answer was short and sharp.

The silence that followed lasted several minutes, broken only by the creaking of the oak tree from which the swings were suspended. Legolas glanced down at the perian. He could sense the tension radiating from the small body, but this time it seemed to have nothing to do with the motion of the swing. The Elf cast his mind about for a way to change the subject.

"Would you care to climb a tree with me?" he finally asked.

Frodo shot him a startled look as they flew past each other, and then laughed ruefully. "Forgive me," he smiled, "I should have said 'I can climb well enough' for my own people. My small skills, such as they are, would be little to match against any of the fair folk."

"That is of no consequence," protested the Elf. "I would welcome your company, regardless of your skill."

The perian seemed as if he still could not believe that an Elf would wish to have anything to do with him, but then a slow smile crept over his face.

"If that's truly what you wish, than I would be honoured to join you," he answered shyly.

"Nay, the honour would be mine," returned Prince Legolas. "Indeed, I would welcome any opportunity to learn more of you and your people."

"And I of you," Frodo agreed. "Do you have a certain tree in mind?"

"Nay, we may choose one when the time comes."

"All right."

Once again the creaking of the oak filled the small glade. Frodo smiled contentedly. He was feeling more at ease with the swing and leaned back, pulling hard against the ropes, trying to brush the sky with his toes the way that Legolas had. The result left him feeling dizzy and a little breathless. Legolas swooped past again and gave him an encouraging smile. His own answering smile was a little weak.

"How did you learn to climb," the Elvish prince asked.

Frodo took a deep breath before answering. "My older cousins on the Brandybuck side taught me when I was young. We used to have races to see who could get into a tree first. Being the youngest, I always lost." He grinned at the memory.

Legolas laughed merrily. "Will I need to help you up?"

"That will depend on the tree we choose."

The pair laughed at this and then Frodo said, "Prince Legolas?"

"Yes, Master Perian?"

"How do you stop?"

Legolas smiled at the disconcerted look on the small face. Almost like a child, yet too knowing, he thought. Aloud he said, "You stop kicking and sit still." He demonstrated and soon the pair were low enough that Legolas leaped off of his swing and caught Frodo's, stopping it. Frodo wobbled as he climbed stiffly to the ground, and Legolas smiled as he noted that the the wooden plank barely hung level with the perian's chest. Frodo, surprised at the feeling of the ground moving under his feet, clutched at the ropes of the swing.

"Allow me to help you," Legolas murmured, offering a hand. The unsteady perian gratefully took it and the pair made their way back to Elrond's house.

"What do you think of swinging now?" Legolas asked gravely.

"It was...different," Frodo answered slowly, "almost like flying would be, I imagine. I think that I enjoyed it."

"Good," Legolas smiled. "Perhaps we could do it again sometime?"

Frodo clutched his stomach and laughed ruefully. "Perhaps another time," he mumbled.

Legolas restrained the laugh that he could feel building up inside of him and instead murmured, "Well, young one, I'm sure you will learn it in time."

"Not so young," Frodo protested.

"Are you near two hundred years?"

The perian fell silent.

When they reached the house they found all of the Periannath in Bilbo's room, eating. Peregrin was the first to notice them.

"Frodo!" cried the young Took. The others looked up in surprise.

"Frodo-lad!" exclaimed Bilbo.

"Where were you?" demanded Merry.

"We was worried sick," put in Frodo's servant, Sam, rising at once.

"Well you certainly look worried," Frodo retorted dryly. Sam blushed and Merry grinned. Peregrin gestured to some bread, fruit, and cheese which were spread out on a small table.

"Elevensies are over there," he offered.

Frodo grimaced and Legolas noticed that he was still holding his stomach. "Ah, no thank you," he mumbled, "I don't think that I'm up to eating anything right now."

The others stared at him incredulously. "What were you doing?" exclaimed Merry.

Frodo gave them a wry smile as he answered, "Swinging."

Bilbo chuckled knowingly, but the younger hobbits just looked mystified.

"What's 'swinging'?" asked Pippin.

Frodo sighed and settled himself in for a long explanation.

Translations

Perian - Halfling, Hobbit

Periannath - plural of hobbit

Elleth - female elves

Ellon - male elves


End file.
